Hydraulic crimpers and cutters are different types of hydraulic power tools for performing work (e.g., crimping or cutting) on work piece. In such tools, a hydraulic tool comprising a hydraulic pump is utilized for pressurizing hydraulic fluid and transferring it to a cylinder in the tool. This cylinder causes an extendible piston to be displaced towards a crimping head. The piston exerts a force on the crimping head of the power tool, which may typically include opposed jaws with certain crimping features, depending upon the particular configuration of the power tool. In this case, the force exerted by the piston may be used for closing the jaws to perform crimp or compression on a work piece at a targeted crimp location.
Certain hydraulic crimping tools and associated crimping heads are known. For example, one known hydraulic crimping tool utilizes a biased open-single pivot crimping head. Such a biased open crimping tool head may be spring biased such that the jaws of the crimping tool pivot about a single pivoting point axis. Spring biased jaws remain open prior to initiation of the crimp. There are certain perceived disadvantages of utilizing such a biased open-single pivot crimping head. As just one disadvantage, because of the biased open nature of the jaws of such a crimping head, proper alignment of the crimping jaws with the crimp target is often difficult since the crimping head is biased open. Oftentimes, in an attempt to accomplish a successful crimp at a targeted connector location, a user of such a biased open crimping device may “jog” (i.e., quickly starting and stopping) the device to approach a closed jaw position just prior to the actual crimping operation in order to achieve a desired crimp location on the connector. Such a process may result in a crimp that is performed at an undesired location on the connector. In addition, such a process may also add additional time and touch labor as some connectors (especially high voltage/high current application) may utilize large aluminum to copper splicing connectors or aluminum to aluminum splicing connectors (such as on the order of over 5 inches in length) and may require repeated crimps.
In addition, oftentimes, for certain high voltage or high current crimping applications, using such a biased open crimping head may take at lease two individuals—one operating the crimping tool and one positioning the connector—in order to ensure properly aligning the crimp head jaws and a connector target location in order to achieve a proper crimp. Another perceived disadvantage of such a single pivot crimping head is that during the connector crimping process, if the crimping head is not repeatedly rotated with respect to the connector after each connector crimp, a certain amount of generally undesirable connector warpage may be experienced.
There is, therefore, a need for a hydraulic crimping tool that may be used to achieve a uniform, controllable crimp while minimizing the amount of connector warpage. There is also a need for a hydraulic crimping tool that is easier to use than certain known hydraulic crimping tools, such a single-pivot, biased open crimping tool heads. There is also a general need for a hydraulic crimping tool that can be used by a single operator and does not require two individuals to achieve a desirable connector crimp.